Rugby | Vodacom Super Rugby

Bulls, Stormers USA trip cancelled

The pre-season fixture between the Vodacom Bulls and DHL Stormers - set for Los Angeles, USA - has been called off.

The teams announced they would be rather playing at the Boland Stadium in Wellington on the same date, instead of being part of the double-header in Los Angeles because of "logistical issues".

Insiders say there have been problems with the flight tickets, and fitting the match into the team schedules ahead of this year's Vodacom Super Rugby series.

The Bulls and Stormers were to headline a double-header which also featured the USA and an Argentinean XV as part of their efforts to spread their brand to new communities.

"The Vodacom Super Rugby pre-season warmup match, that was supposed to be played between the Vodacom Bulls and the DHL Stormers in Los Angeles has been cancelled due to issues regarding the agreed upon transfers and logistics," a statement from the Bulls said.

"Player welfare and the management thereof are extremely important to the Vodacom Bulls as well as the DHL Stormers, and will not be compromised on in this regard."

"However, both teams are extremely excited to announce that the fixture will still be played locally at the Boland Stadium on 3 February 2018, with kickoff scheduled for 4pm. More details regarding the game and availability of tickets will be made public in due course."

In addition to this fixture, the Bulls play two games on 27 January - one in Johannesburg against the Emirates Lions, and one in Polokwane against the Cell C Sharks.

They also will face a Jaguares team on February 10 at Loftus ahead of the competition's start on 17 February.